Track teams ready for district meet

The Wally Ciochetti Invitational at Cottage Grove Friday, May 8 served as the final tune-up before this week's two-day Sky-Em District Championships set for Thursday, May 14 and Saturday, May 16 at Junction City High School.

The Ciochetti meet attracted 13 4A schools along with two 5A schools, in what many coaches called a great preparation for the state meet. Indeed, a number of the top-ranked 4A athletes were on hand, providing a terrific challenge for the Outlaws.

Coming off an impressive team victory a week earlier at the Dick Baker Invitational at Gladstone, the girls team held its own against perennial powers Marist and Henley, coming up just short in an epic team battle. Marist won the meet with 103 points, just one point ahead of Henley (102), and four points ahead of the Outlaws (99). It was the first time all season that Sisters' girls team has lost to a 4A opponent.

The outcome actually came down to the final event of the meet, the 4x400-meter relay, and even though Sisters ran a season best 4:06.64, the team finished third behind Henley (4:03.43) and Marist (4:05.53).

"We can't wait to race Marist again at District, and hope to have a rematch with Henley at the state meet," said head coach Bob Johnson.

Nathalie Tresseras used her patented kick to win both the 1,500 meters (4:54) and the 3,000 (11:09.16) against a star-studded field. Emi Conrads ran her personal best, finishing right behind Tresseras in the 3,000 (11:09.93).

Tresseras remains the second-ranked 1,500-meter runner among 4A girls behind Taylor Wallace of Henley, who ran the 800 at the meet in all-state, leading 2:10.57. Hayley Palmer finished fifth in the race in 2:28.03.

"Nathalie has the heart of a lion," said Johnson in describing her will to win. "It's hard to believe she never ran before coming here from France."

Sara Small broke the school record in the pole vault, clearing 10 feet 6 inches, and her fellow freshman Chelsea Reifschneider scored in three events, placing third in the 300 hurdles (48.91), sixth in the 100 hurdles and joined Courteney Satko, Karah Herr, and Hayley Palmer on the third-place relay team.

Herr also placed third in the 400 (1:01.76) and second in the 300 hurdles (48.16), which is her lifetime best.

"Karah is becoming a real leader on the team," said Johnson.

Three triple jumpers from Sisters made the event a very close contest, as Lindsay Berger (33 feet 4.25 inches), Annie Mutchler (33 feet 3.75 inches) and Aubrey Cretsinger (33 feet 2.5 inches) placed fourth, fifth, and sixth respectively.

The boys were somewhat shorthanded in placing seventh among the 14 teams at the meet, with 47 points. Marist won the meet with 82, followed by Hidden Valley with 77, North Bend (72) and North Valley (64).

"I think it will be a different story at District," said Johnson. "I am expecting a real dogfight in both the boys and girls team races at District."

Notable performances at Cottage Grove included a number of second-place finishes, topped by Jared Nelson's personal best of 13 feet 7 inches in the pole vault. Jared Henderson ran the 800 in (2:02.25), and Levi Rowe's 20-foot jump in the long jump and 40-foot-2-inch effort in the triple earned him a pair of second places as well.